Fight for truck parking spaces: Germany's streets threaten to overflow!

Fight for truck parking spaces: Germany's streets threaten to overflow!

Fichtenplan Süd, 16348 Wandlitz, Deutschland - In Germany, the problems with the truck parking space availability of motorways are enormous. A recent count that was carried out between April 15 and June 3 showed that 2,168 trucks were parked at 31 rest areas in East Germany, although only 1,412 parking spaces were available. This means an overcrowding of about 50% and significantly increases the danger in road traffic, as the Auto Club Europe (ACE) states. Critical rest areas such as Fichtenplan Süd an der A10 and Stolpe Nord on the A24 have extremely high parking densities. The ACE warns of traffic risks, especially in the night hours, since corresponding hazards were determined on 21 of the 31 rest areas.

trucks often park in entrances and trips as well as on car parking areas, which also tightens the Situation. The count was carried out during the days of the week and should be part of a broader examination, the nationwide results of which will be presented on June 18. The Federal Association of Goods Property, Logistics and Disposal not only calls for an increase in the parking spaces, but also a simplification of the approval procedures for new parking spaces to counter the critical location.

need for action and current numbers

The overview of the current truck parking spaces shows that more than 19,500 regular parking is missing nationwide. In the evening there are over 102,000 trucks on the road, while only 82,490 parking facilities are available. According to the associations, there is a deficit of around 40,000 parking spaces, which means that the shortage of parking lots should be brought directly into the focus of the Ministry of Transport. The expansion of charging infrastructures for electrical trucks could also have further challenges for the parking situation, especially if the number of parking spaces is not increased at the same time.

The ADAC reports that around 23,500 truck drivers are looking for a legal parking lot every night. The situation in federal states such as Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia is particularly tense. In response to the crisis, the federal government plans an investment of 90 million euros in the construction of 4,000 new truck parking spaces, which are to be created within a three-kilometer radius of motorway connection points. This could alleviate some of the existing bottlenecks, but should be implemented promptly to meet the increase in traffic.

slow implementation of solutions

Despite clear problems, industry representatives criticize the slow implementation of planned measures to create new parking spaces. There are currently around 85,000 truck parking spaces in Germany, this number is far behind the actual need. The Federal Ministry of Transport has already indicated that it is aiming for a comprehensive concept to improve parking management, which includes both public and private spaces. Innovative parking systems and intelligent solutions could help improve the situation for truck drivers and to increase traffic safety on the motorways.

Overall, the current developments show that coordinated effort is required to master the challenges of a changing transport landscape. The combination of increasing number of vehicles and inadequate parking space capacities is not only a logistical, but also a security problem that urgently needs to be addressed.